Corkage Without Guilt
By David LeClaire
As a wine professional, I seem to accumulate an interesting array
of delicious wines that usually sit in my cellar and collect dust.
And although I love to cook and entertain, the times I do doesn't
seem to match the rate of cellar growth. When I am about to go out
for a great dinner to a restaurant with a friend, I usually think of
pulling one of these delights and treating my friend to something I
know is special.
Something that I've been looking for an excuse to open.
While some restaurants hate the idea of not making money on your
wines, when I worked as a wine director in a restaurant, my
philosophy was that it is better to have customers enjoying my
restaurant than it is to have empty seats. I liked to see a diner
come in with their own bottle, have a great experience and tell all
their friends how they loved my restaurant, rather than to not have
them come in at all. Restaurants which allow "corkage" encourage
people who really love wine and food, or "diners" to come in to
their restaurants.
I do many speaking engagements revolving around wine, and often
encourage people to bring in their own wines to restaurants and pay
"corkage," a fee that you pay the restaurant for opening your wine.
But honestly, it's really more for the privilege of letting you
bring in your own wines since they won't be selling you any wine and
they in a sense lose money by not selling you any. And what many
savvy restaurants know is that people who know about corkage are
usually wine lovers, which means after they finish the bottle they
brought, they often order something else from the list. You can
sometimes bring in more than one bottle, but don't over do it. Many
people don't know this is legal in quite a few states, and even
among those who know it is, they are often embarrassed to try it!
Of course there are a few "rules" to corkage. First, call ahead
and ask what their "corkage policy is." They should quote you a
price per bottle. If the person answering the phone doesn't know
what "corkage"
means, ask to speak to a manager. If you are speaking to manager,
and they don't know what it is, forget it, move on. Even if it is
legal, as it is in Washington, restaurants don't have to let you do
so. It's something they can choose to do or not.
Second, never bring in a wine they already have on the wine list.
The point is to bring in something they don't have. When making
reservations, ask if they carry the particular wine you're planning
on bringing. If you have an older vintage of the same wine they
carry, that is acceptable. Don't bother bringing in super cheap
wines, but it doesn't have to be old and rare either. Just something
you love and know they don't have.
Next, never ever bring in an opened bottle of wine. Why? It's
just an unwritten rule of etiquette. It shows you have style and
understand the "rules." And you don't have to just bring in wines to
fancy, expensive restaurants. Often the best places are neighborhood
places that have very limited wine lists but food you love. When I
am having my favorite pizza, I want one of my favorite wines!
Once seated, observe the courtesies. As the wine is opened, and
the sample taste is poured, pick up the glass, hand it to the
sommelier or server and tell them to enjoy the wine later. Don't
smell it or taste it. Just hand it over. It should just be a small
taste, and if you do so right at the beginning versus leaving them
the remnants at the bottom of the bottle at the end, you will get
better service and often won't be charged a corkage fee at all. This
shows you have class, are generous, and acknowledge their interest
in trying good wines too! Then ask for another glass. It should be
smooth sailing from there.
Since the "house" get's the corkage fee, not the server,
sometimes you won't be charged the fee, as the server is hoping you
may notice and tip them more. If the server or wine person doesn't
charge you corkage, don't make a big deal about it! Just quietly
leave an extra $10 or so tip, and they'll be thrilled to see you
again next time with your own bottle. If they do charge you corkage,
a 20% tip of the total bill is fine. You may choose to tip the
person who opened your wine extra, but that's not required and may
depend on their graciousness.
Don't let corkage stop you from enjoying your favorite wines with
your favorite foods, after all, you may not be able to cook the kind
of meal which your wine should be dancing with. There are plenty of
venues to uncork your special libations without glares.
Corkage fees and policies will vary significantly, and can
change, so call ahead and verify. In downtown Seattle, the usual
range is between $8-$20 a bottle. Here is a partial list of some
Seattle-area restaurants and their recent corkage policies. Cheers!
Dragonfish, Wild Ginger, Calypso - $10
Serafina - $13 "Bring in anything!" says Chef and wine guy
John Newmark
Queen City Grill - $15 but waive the fee if you buy a
bottle
Zoe's - $15 (magnum is $30)
Il Bistro - $15 if not on the list, or $25 if it is on the
list
Daniel's on Lake Union, Salty's, Dahlia Lounge, Avenue One,
Icon Grill, The Palace Kitchen, Ponti (1 bottle max), The
Metropolitan Grille (3 bottles max) - $15
Tulio - $18
Andaluca, Campagne & Cafe Campagne, Seastar, Flying Fish,
Fandango - $20
Salish Lodge - $25
Cascadia - $25 for the first bottle, $35 for the second
bottle, $50 for the third.
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